The name says it all. Foxhole *is* a Culinary Tavern. The folks that started this are awesome and really in tune to their restaurant. They get what it is to have a bar that serves amazing food in an contemporary upscale environment. I am glad the decided to bring this to North Austin and get out of Downtown.

I had not been to Zuzu in years, maybe 10 years, and I needed some lunch. So I stopped in to the Far West location.
I ordered Chicken Enchiladas, which didn’t turn out well. The chicken is hand pulled from the bone, and you would expect they would find bones if they took care…well I returned the dish after I found bones.
I asked for a Tostada to replace it so I could move on with life.

So I feel I should at least write about Opal’s since I am sitting here on their WIFI, fed and satisfied after the failure that is Abel’s.
Opal’s has lots of stuff on the menu, much of it good. The Nachos are very good, with home made, fried chips. I usually get the Two Step for Lunch as it is cost effective, filling and you have numerous items to pick from.
The only complaint is for the Executive Chef. You suck at what you do if you have to use Bell Peppers in 99% of the dishes for flavoring. Honestly, I have never been to a place that needs to cook bell peppers into their Black Beans. Black Beans don’t need it, their flavor comes from the bean itself, it is just not necessary.

Not often am I utterly amazed at the food that goes down my gullet. Garbo’s brought the amazement. Damn this place is good.

First time I had gone, and that included the Trailer.

I had the Connecticut style which is a bun with lobster and butter. Seems simple, but there is lots going on here. The rolls are not just a roll, but sourced from Swedish Hill Bakery here in town. They make the dish.

Seems like folks from Dallas love chain restaurants. I loath them…so when I ask my friends from Dallas to go eat, I ask them to “Pick anyplace not corporate.” They ask what that means….and I say “If I can eat at that place in Austin, then I don’t want to eat there in Dallas.”

Well it is nice to actually find a place that I can’t say anything bad about. As readers know, that does not happen often. So it is nice to know that there are still a few get the Blueberry Muffin French Toast *and* the Chicken and Biscuit with Jalapeño Truffle Gravy. The Meatloaf is excellent as well. type of places still around.

Well all, I know it has been a while since I have done some updates. Life gets in the way of stuff sometimes. I mean not in the way of eating, but just in the way of putting pen to paper or fingers to keys as it were.

Once again I wanted some home cooking. Seems like I have been craving that lately, or is it just that what I have found is just not that good? Who knows.

Ross to the rescue! Ross’ Old Austin Cafe has been up on North Lamar for a long time, at least longer than most can remember. Their history is long, back from when Austin was tiny. Back to the 1940’s…but I forget the history.

It has been a long time since I have been to Third Base downtown. Despite it’s age, I have to say that it’s still a nice bar. Many places start to show their age the longer they’ve been open, but they seem to keep this place looking good. Maybe they have been watching Bar Rescue with John Tapper.

This place is much like The Salt Lick, just when you think it can’t get worse, you are amazed that it does. I should have known this when I checked in on Facebook and a friend said “Prepare to be disappointed”. Boy was he right.

I got in the boat and headed for a late dinner. It was awkward since they had no docks to park my boat at because this place is no where near a lake, river, ocean, or even pond for that matter. I never really understood why they called this joint a Marina, maybe because Captian Jack’s or Poopy’s Poop Deck was what it was called before Opal floated in. Who knows.

Lunch time called for a break from work and the search for a different lunch venue. I drove around with a work buddy looking for Soul Food, which is almost impossible to find on a Monday. Small, locally owned shops are often closed Monday’s, we just forgot that. So since we were in East Austin we drove by the same haunts, many that I had been to before like Gene’s.

I had high hopes but it is possible that they need a little more time to fry out the wrinkles. The bacon had food flavor, but was not trimmed well and there was a single stingy side that you could not chew. The bacon waffle, pictured below, was good, but same problem with the bacon. The Mason Jar coffee cake, just had bacon bits on top, and was drier than a martini. The thing almost turned to dust when I dug it out of the jar. We even asked the waitress about it, and she had no clue what the dish was, much less how it was suppose to be prepared.

We had to check out Old School Grill since it has only been open for two weeks. Mind you, we thought it served BBQ, but not, it is more of a New Orleans style cooking. This is back to the roots which Dan came from I hear.

I hate Guy Fieri and his f’ing hair. I probably misspelled his name, so I will just call him Gay Douche.
Nevermind. Since that douchetool showed up here there are all kind of family tourists that come into this joint. And it is funny as hell!

We wanted some good grub, sandwiches or burgers, so our host took us to Beef O’ Brady’s. This place is a local hangout in the evening where folks get cold beer and some burgers, play NtN Trivia and Poker, Darts and they have a game room for the rug-rats.

People think this joint’s just another tourist place, but it is actually good. The bar downstairs is awesome as well as the tables on the rail. You can watch the marina and the boats go in and out while your drinking or eating.

The breeze always seems to blow and it is very comfortable even on a 90+ degree day like today.

I am so glad the other place we tried was so small we could not get in. The other place was busy (all 6 tables) and we were outside, folks that pulled up and had the same experience told us about this place. I have to say it is one of the best Breakfasts I have had in a while. The Biscuits and Gravy were awesome! The eggs tasted very good, not like some of the chemically ones I have had lately. Hash Browns were rich with butter and cooked perfectly.

Shell’s is small, hell tiny even. There are maybe 9 tables inside. They do have a large deck, but sometimes in the heat, you really want some A/C. So wait, there is a back story. We were sitting in Driftwood, Texas having Italian at Trattoria Lisina when one of us said “We should go to the beach, and eat seafood for dinner.”

If you like Mandola’s then you will love Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood. This is the flagship location for all the Mandola’s and it shows! The food is amazing! One of the specials today is the grilled venison and it was amazing.

I don’t go often to Hula Hut, as it is mostly lost its Austin appeal, but was downtown and wanted something close to the lake. One of the best reasons to go there is to watch the douchbaggery in boating as they try to dock boats.

We sat out on the new deck, and let me say it looks great after the fire.

I went for lunch. I have to say it is just not as good as it used to be. I cannot really put my finger on what it is, but the flavor is just not the same. When I used to go, I would tear into the burger and say WOW that is tasty, real fresh and yummy.

It has been almost a year since I have been to Charlie’s Steak House. First off, you can still smoke while eating in this joint. I know that sounds strange to some of you, but there are people that still do that. So deal with it….or not. They have smoking in the bar area, but you can’t smoke in the dining room proper. I just wanted to say proper.

It has been a while since I have been to Jardin Corona…maybe a year or so. The first time I went to Jardin Corona was when they opened their new location, in the early 90’s. I honestly can’t remember where they were, but I think it was where Ala Carrera was which is now MVP Sports Bar on 183 before Braker. Not sure, but I think. I remember when they moved to the current location as I had an office off of Pond Springs Road and we would eat close by.

I really can’t count how many times I have been to wildfire. If I were to harbor a guess, it would be in the 1000’s. You might think this is crazy, but almost every day for 4 years…it just adds up. I once set the record for most consecutive days which was 45. Mind you that was Sunday’s also. Anyone else that goes there for the most part never shows up on Sunday as they have families, jobs and other meaningless things to do.

We added a plug-in for the iPad so you can view the site in a ‘Flip board’ style. We think that this is very nice for the iPad. Mind you the iPhone site layout is different, but it is formatted for a smaller screen and works well. We will continue to use the WPTouch plug-in for iPhone and all mobile browsers.

Well I not been to 1431 Cafe in quite some time. I am not sure why as it is just up the toll way and easy to get to. They serve breakfast all day for thar that want it and everything else is just straight up American.

You can’t party your frog off at Lunch…well some of the folks that come here can. I have before, just not today.

Today sucked. Sucked hard. Tax day is tomorrow, which I am not ready for and I get a ticket on the access road. Really? When a Sargent gives you a ticket, you can bank on Austin Police Department to just be generating revenue.

I just wanted to let everyone know that Austin Restaurant Week is an excellent opportunity to get out and enjoy some great food. Basically it is a fixed price for 3 course meals and many of the best places in town.

I can’t say I remember the last time I have been to Gino’s, but it has been too long. I went tonight as visitors were in town staying in Round Rock. I never remember going there at Dinner, seems that I have only been at lunch.

No matter, the place is banging, spot on, goodness. The wait was only 15min at 7pm even though they had numerous large tables. The service was excellent!

I was out for Lunch yesterday and we stopped at Maudie’s. The South Lamar location is nice(which is where we went), but I like the North Lamar location more. Either way, Maudie’s gets a bad rap, but I go there and eat what I know is good. The Sausage Migas Con Queso.

Los Pinos is always good foe breakfast tacos. In fact I think they are some of the best you can get mainly because the flat top griddle is seasoned well. The breakfast tacos are mixed when cooked also, not just made then spooned into a tortilla, so the sausage is mixed with the eggs when cooking. The potatoes are added on the grill too so the flavor is integrates with the taco, not just spooned on.

Well it took 4 days, as their servers only recalculate in the early morning. So we made it to the #1 slot.I want to thank every one of you for your support. Ok, this not going to be a Grammy Speech, as I have Lunch coming up in a few and need to eat and do some more blogging.

Habanero’s is only known by the true connoisseurs of Tacos in Austin. They claim to smoke their meats over Pecan Wood, even though that is not what really hits your at first. It is the mere fact that the food and meats are just so flavorful.

As always I try to stop into The Water Tank for Tuesday Tacos mostly because they are a buck. Yes 1 dollar! And these things are good, I mean they are not over thought, just like you would cook up at home. Ground meat, a packet of seasoning, shell, and what ever you put n it.

I have been back to Patsy’s twice in the last two weeks. I have not been in over 2 years, in part because I was not close to it, but mostly because it got to the point where it was horrid two years ago.

I came to Twin Peaks with friends for the Sunday Car Show. The show somewhat sucked as there were only a few cars, and some were the cholo type that were all ‘hit the switches, bitches’…so really not my scene.

Really astonishing location just off of IH35, with views of the creek and greenbelt. The outside seating is wonderful as I overlooks a grassy knoll where they host live music later in the week. It wits facing the east so the building shades the outside decks. The menu is very Texas with venison in the meat loaf, as well as other game.

The bar is far too small for a brew pub this size. Two taps at the bar for all beers, no serve bar. They actually reduced the size of Joe’s bar. On the up side the server a cylinder of 100oz of beer, with a tap on the side of it. The parking is horrid, so the success here is questionable. Liquor selection is skinny at best, but at least the serve breakfast all day!

Stopped into catch the Cowboys and have a few drinks.BW3’s is corporate and you can expect the same, mostly everywhere.That being said, they are not the best wings, nor the worst, but the do get them done right every time. The atmosphere is always good and it is bumping during Games.Good for drinks, pub food, wings and such!

Wanted some Diner food, so we headed south from Amarillo.Excellent choice! Chicken Fried Steak was tender and cooked perfectly, with an excellent scald. The Pot Roast, which was a daily special, not on the menu, was excellent. Chicken Fried Steak was covered in white gravy and the Pot Roast in brown gravy.They also have sweet tea, which has not seemed to catch on in Amarillo as of yet.The salad was awesome (side salad) and the Ranch Dressing was PERFECT! Cold and thick and tasty!Also had the fried pickles, which were expensive, but had 10 total fried pickles on the plate (which is too much!!!)The only downside were the sides. The broccoli cheese casserole has some sweet red peppers in them, which gives it a strange taste. The Loaded Mashed Potatoes were not hot enough to melt the butter, cheese and sour cream.Our waitress, Robin was spot on and very, very courteous. Also a great place for the Kids as they model trains that run around over-head!

Very good place to get work done. The speed is acceptable and the music is usually quite enough to make phone calls if needed.

Wirelss SSID: Pluckers-Guest Secure: No Outlets: Under the bar on each end and at the tables in the bar
Quiet: Medium (Quite unless they crank the music, or games are on)Speed: Medium Overall Workability Rating: 3 (1-5)

Even though there are tons of kids, the buffet moves fast enough that the Pizza is ALWAYS Fresh. All the goodies you would find on a Pizza buffet, bred sticks, cinnamon sticks, desert pizza, pasta, salad…and Lordy Lordy SWEET TEA! Good pizza!

Ok, this is a corporate place, so it falls off my list of places I frequent, but when Carino’s first opened, the food was real good. The Veal was very good for being a chain, but now all has gone downhill. This happens many times when more competition moves in closer so don’t say you were not warned.

Good standard American Food. Scotty has been doing this kind of cooking for years and has it down to a science. Chicken Fried Steak, Enchiladas and your standard Truck Stop style breakfast. The only problem is it is not open late (2pm) and it is always slow on the weekends, even when the place is not busy.

Do folks really go to this place? I went back in the late 80’s when there was a Pancho’s on Burnet. The place still sucks, with all the good Mexican choices in town, why go here? All you can eat…well if you like bad food and want lots of it.

So I classify a Cafe as a place that serves some American home cooking.This ain’t it. It is more of a sandwich shop. For sandwich’s the prices are a little high, but if your close to the location it will do.Mind you this is no real deli, nor a cafe….I mean some in-between concoction of food that is almost non-classifiable. But they do have a few good sandwiches and hell, at least the WiFi is free…but for breakfast, go next door to the Kolache Factory.

The food at Hideout is good for pub grub. The drinks stand out as they are mostly $3 bucks.
I have tried the Burgers, waffle fries, and nachos. All are good and the staff is nice.
It is in a weird location, one reason they call it Hideout…but it is worth a stop by. It seems that most people use it as a “stop-off” bar, as they have a few drinks and move on.

Ok, so not often do I try to make a splash with a title, but seriously this place sucks.
Let’s say you cross a Kettle with a IHOP, put it in the ghetto, invite anyone for a 5 o’clock free crack give away and you got Carrows.
Now, I have been to Carrows in other towns and it is your standard IHOP style breakfast joint…but here in Austin, stay away…unless your looking to buy crack with your waffles.

Finally went to this place tonight. I have heard mixed reviews, but lately only good. So I hit it.
Good, Good, Good! Beans were ‘clean’ and tasty, rice was good. The Chicken Tortilla Soup was awesome, as close to my own I have had.
It is a weird little joint, but they do serve breakfast every day, and on weekends until 2pm. Gonna have to hitch a ride up to it when I am on the lake all night! doh!

Man this place is good. Go with the double meat since the size is small.On nasty days, skip this joint, since all the seating is outside. Drive up available much like Short Stop.Lemonade is great, wish it came in a cup as big as the rest of the drinks, but hand squeezed the way it should be.

Wow, it is hard to figure out where to put Burger House…for sure in the top 3.
Great little place, awesome burgers. I went for the double meat, double cheese.
These are your griddle style like your mom would make on the stove…and they run down your arm juicy.
I would pass on the fires, they were shoestring but over done.
Just WOW on the burger!

Stopped into Cafe Castronova for Breakfast. The name will fool you, since it is more of a Bistro than Cafe.
The breakfast was awesome and under 10 bucks, but I would assume that the dinner is high-end and great. It was standard American breakfast with the fusion of their upscale style of food. The Home Fries were AWESOME.
They do have a Cigar Room next door that is part of the establishment, and the vibe in there is old world Cuba Style.
Sometime I will try to go back for Dinner.

Well, no bar here, but a buffet. I have to say I have never eaten at a Mediterranean Buffet. As buffet’s go, this one is fresh. The food was great. The standard Mediterranean fare was there, and the desserts were great also.
I was really wowed to try the Fried Chicken and it was great also.
I did lunch, but would assume that dinner is just as good.

Many like Monument Cafe, but every time I go there I just expect more. The idea is great but the follow through is not so good.
They are building a new location, and that possibly brings hope of a new flux of recipes and maybe shake off the stale.

I have been eating at the bar here for years. All in all the food has gone up and down, but it remains a good place that is not corporate, and serves good steaks.
The bar is the best part of the restaurant, since it is just inviting.
Good non-corporate restaurant!

Went for Josie’s Enchiladas last night…so damn good.
North location is small like the rest and in an odd old shopping center. It can be warm due to the setting sun later in the evening, but well worth it.
Same great food and service.
But, I would not necessarily visit this area of town late at night…it can be somewhat sketchy.

I went here for lunch on the recommendation of a friend. Exotic Thai has only been open a few months but have really found their stride.
This is not your standard Thai restaurant, as my Pad Thai was not served in a bowl but on a plate. It was dryer than most but the flavor was awesome. The plate had a cabbage soup, rice, and salad.
The place was not large, and sits in a strange place in a long and narrow center at Braker and Lamar. They also have a large meeting room as well.

Well, if you have lived in Austin long enough you know the story. Dan and Fran broke up. They had like 10 restaurants…and the court said split them.
So you got Fran’s and Dan’s….all are basically the same…unless you had the bumper sticker conveying which you supported.

…so I am not really a Tapas connoisseur, but it seems they want to over do everything. Seriously, apple chutney with the Tapas…
Just stick to the basics, go with a Castro minimalism and make some good Tapas….but mind you the Drink of the same name, Cuba Libre is one of the best here.

Every location embraces Elvis and Hubcaps….crazy decor and good Tex-Mex.
If your just visiting Austin, or have lived here for year, you need to get back. Every time I go, I realize I should eat at Chuy’s more often.

Their Tex-Mex holds it’s own with any joint in town, but they do have a great late night selection of buzz killing entrees.
Chicken Enchiladas are always my selection, and don’t forget to get the Jalapeno Ranch for dipping the chips.

Well, I went to Boulevard Bar & Grill the first week it was open years ago….it sucked.
That, like many things changed, they have solidified their niche.
Burgers are good at lunch and they have a cheap happy hour. Even after years of them being there, I go back every few months when I am in the area.
Be warned, the bar is small, so there really is no “eating at the bar”.

So this is not really a BBQ place, in fact I would rate Rudy’s above this place and Rudy’s sucks as Texas BBQ goes.
Never the less, it is a place that has scantly clad women, in little shorts and other things protruding.
That being said, get the sausage plate…they don’t ever screw that up. Also, you can get a bacon plate at the bar…only real men order bacon with whiskey!

A friend turned me onto these guys “little burgers”.
Now mind you, ya need a few to make it fill ya, but they are good, real good. As sliders go, these might be the bets in town.
I can’t say I have tried anything else on the menu, since I usually just get the sliders and then go next door to Amy’s to get some cream.

Stopped by when I was driving back to Austin. The outdoor tables are nice if the weather is forgiving…but it was too hot when I was there so we moved inside and ate at the bar.
Burgers were great and the chicken fried steak can hold it’s own with most in town.
Good food if your in the area.

I went for lunch last week with an Indian co-worker. We were both impressed, but his recommendation is more valid since his family owns numerous Indian restaurants in India.
The buffet was well stocked and had a large selection of both meat and vegetarian fare. My second Indian choice in Austin after Bombay Bistro.

This is by far the best location of the Mesa Rosa restaurants. Some of the others don’t keep as close to the original menu.
Everything that I have had is great, but my favorite is the Taco Salad with ground beef. The side of queso that comes with it is just the icing on the cake for the Taco Salad, this in the huge homemade taco shell bowl and mounds of beef and cheese….and did I mention the queso?
Good stuff!

There are lots of jerks in this world, but Cafe Blue’s Jerk Burger takes the cake.
I have yet to find another place that uses Jerk Seasoning on beef, but it hits the spot dead on! Excellent burger, worth the drive or boat trip.
Everything I have had from their menu is good.
The Crab Cakes, Wedge Salad and Jerk Burger are what I stop for.
Also Boat accessible with dock parking at Sandy Creek Marina.

The buffet is minimal for the price. They usually only have two main dishes, one meat and one veggie. At lunch the Buffet is up front and in the way of all the traffic coming in to sit down. Just basically a cluster.
The regular menu is good, but there are other places in town to get better Indian.
The atmosphere the only selling point Clay Pit has. The building is nicely restored. They keep getting traffic due to its location and NOT the food.
Go North to Bombay Bistro.

Hut’s is a Old Austin Standard. I went last week for lunch and it was great as always. I usually go with the Dagwood, but branched out and got a regular burger (laugh!).
This place is always good for a burger, but be warned. Anytime UT is playing, stay away, or other big events downtown, everyone wants to go there, and the wait is for ever. Catch it on an off day for some good quick burgers!

I usually visit at lunch. Even though they do not have a bar to eat at, the pasta selection is great. For $12 bucks it is all-you-can-eat Pasta Bar.
First: Pick your ingredients; They have mushrooms, onions, ham, turkey, chicken, pepperoni, shrimp, clams, and the assortment of veggies for your pasta.
Second: Pick your Sauces include; Alfredo, Cajun, pesto, marinara, and another that escapes me.
Third: Pick your Pasta; flat noodles, wheat noodles, bow-tie, spiral, spaghetti.
Forth: EAT!

BJ’s does have good micro brews, but the food is a little too corporate for my taste.
This place is just your standard corporate joint and most of the offerings are like Cheadders, Bennigans, and the others.
The one bright point are the micro brews, but if your going for lunch, you might not be able to take advantage of that.
Not bad, but will not blow your skirt up.

Even with working down close to 183 and Ben White, we often drive up to Bombay Bistro for lunch.
Their lunch buffet is larger than most Indian restaurants down south and the quality far exceeds all of those that we have been to. They usually have 4-5 main dishes on the buffet and 2 veggie choices.
Excellent price, excellent quality.

Good Indian food in the south east area. I mostly go for lunch and eat the buffet. The buffet is not large, but there is usually 2-3 main items, with the standard Indian sides.
Only down side, is they don’t like to serve tea. It is hard to get anything more than water, and when you do specifically ask for tea, it hardly ever gets refilled.

It was much better before it closed down the last time. But make no mistake, it got it’s name Dirty’s because it is just that. The place is disgusting…but the burgers are fair. The photo on their site of the Meat Frying makes me want to puke. They don’t call it Dirty’s for nothing, remember that.

The Chef at 34th street is amazing. For such a small place, the quality of food is just outstanding. I am not sure how they do it out of a kitchen that is so small. Lunch is always good, diner is upscale and the place is always quite. Always go for the Crab Cakes App, they are the best in town. Nice selection of Wine as well.

Since I am not usually down south for Diner, I can’t speak of the evening crowd, but for lunch this place is always empty, which equates to fast.Good sushi, Toro is excellent (fatty tuna) as are all of the items I have tired over the many trips.They also have Bento Boxes for lunch (fixed lunch with salad, sides, meat).

This place was awesome when the Athenian Grill owner started it. But then he sold out to another fellow, who promptly fired all the Greek’s working there and filled their place with anyone that would work for lower wages. Food is good, but not nearly the quality that it was.

“Buffet style low grade mush.”
Doesn’t like it
This place is a haven for the blue haired crowd on Church days. Most folks that would pass on this place but it still seems packed. It is a buffet much like Ryan’s and is just not that good.

Gumbo’s has weathered many storms, buy out’s, sell out’s, new owners, managers, old owners, managers, and it still stands on it’s own. The steaks are good, the Cajun entree’s are better. Leave room for the Desert, the Bread Pudding is to die for.

This place is great! It has been around for what seems ever now, but they really have good food. I call it Clean Mexican, since it is void of the heavy grease that many Tex-Mex places drown their food in. I always go with the Enchiladas, but you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu!

I think that Kobe has some of the best Spicy Tuna Rolls in town. Mainly because they roll them in the tempura crunch – which must have ‘crack’ in it – because it is so good. I usually eat at the bar (this is my theme) but if you eat at one of the grills, I suggest the Chateau Bruene. Their meat is good, but since it is a Japanese Steakhouse, they really don’t cook the steaks like us Texans, but to each their own.

Quite enough to talk on the phone, speed is good, but there are usually 3-5 users online at all times.Wirelss SSID: Halcyon Secure: No Outlets: None, Ask bartender to plug in behind the bar Quiet: QuiteSpeed: Fast Overall Workability Rating: 3 (1-5)

I have no idea how Corporate continues to say wireless works, when you get close to 9kbps out of the link.Seriously, get RoadRunner, DSL is a joke, especially here. If you have to do ANY work, or even check email, good luck.

Where do I start? I was here over Christmas. This place is the way you would expect: photos of the patrons on the walls, from every event in the last 20 years, Halloween, New Years, what-ever-day….The burgers are not just good, they are GOD LIKE! Some of the best you will find.Not to mention they are on the old Route 66. This is the way everyone should roll today!

Best Wurst is the best late night food on Sixth Street. This place is heads and shoulders above ANY of the pizza joints.
He has been there for years and the one reason is that these Brauts are just damn good.
He also can be found around 10th and Congress at lunch.

I have been eating at Reale’s for over ten years. Tonight I go in to eat at the bar and the bartender tells us we can’t. Only appetizers. I asked who changed this? He said HE did. SO now because the bartender is horrible slow he refuses to serve food. I don’t even want to give the owner a call, I will just find another place.

I was told this was an excellent place to eat. If I had only known the Chop House was a block away….I will say the Bar on the roof-top was very nice.The food was another story. They have the assortment of menu items that most high end Steakhouses have, like the wedge salad, but do not be fooled.They get their meat primarily from a personally owned ranch with Hereford Cattle which is not know for being excellent meat, but the idea must sell.That being said, the Fillet was flavorless. It was cooked to order as I wished (rare), but there was no flavor. My No flavor I mean ZERO.Tasteless meat.If you want to go eat a steak, try the Chop House, or get in the car, drive down 6th street – west until it merges into 7th St, and go to the 3100 block of 7th. You will find Eddie V’s who has some of the best steaks in the State of Texas, if not the Planet.

The hostess stand sucks, in a big way. We were told that it was a 10 min wait. 10 min later, they said it was a 15min wait, then after we waited a total of 25min, they said it was 10 more minutes. Total bullshit.Let me tell you there is a call-ahead list. So do that to get in front of the others…like us that waited.Finally at the table, the evening went perfectly. Joisah was awesome. All of the food was great. I had cheese and beef enchiladas with Queso on top. It was EXCELLENT.I would recommend it .I talked to the manager and explained the situation at the front, and let him know that our server was one of the best I had had any place.

Went for lunch. First off, let me say the bread basket has sweet rolls in it….yes FREE SWEET ROLLS!So I had the Chicken Fried Steak (light portion). It was very good. Good meat, cooked correctly, fresh taste.All of the sides looked good, but I had the Broccoli & Rice Casserole. The Chicken n’ Dumplings were not all that good, as it was more of a soup than gravy sauce.All in all, good joint.

This place has been here for ever. They sold it, left town, and then came back, and had to buy it back again.Now non-smoking (well had been for some time), but the breakfast is still some of the best you can get. All the standard fare, from biscuits and gravy to french toast the place just does breakfast rigtht.Get some!

So since they roll the dough all the time, there is hardly ever a time I have been to the Krispy Kreme when they do not have fresh hot doughnuts coming off the belt.That being said, once I took someone there and they thought the doughnuts were so good they went home and bought stock.One of the best locations due to the volume.

So since they roll the dough all the time, there is hardly ever a time I have been to the Krispy Kreme when they do not have fresh hot doughnuts coming off the belt.That being said, once I took someone there and they thought the doughnuts were so good they went home and bought stock.

I have been to the Droubletree numerous times for conferences. If I ever get up early, which is once in say 3 days, I will catch brunch here. The brunch is good and the bacon comes crispy. It is a tad over priced for just Hotel food, but it is convenient.

Man this place is good. Since it is in Fashion Show Mall, it is close to everything. The best part about RA is it is not a Casino joint….and it is GOOD!I went with other Sushi lovers and we were all impressed.Spicy Tuna Rolls are my barometer of sushi joints, like chicken-fried steak of sushi. I rate by that single dish, as well as Torro.This place was awesome, very fresh, and VERY cost effective!

What else needs to be said, it is all you can eat Crab Legs! The buffet is fresh and there are TONS of choices….but I can’t get past the ALL YOU CAN EAT CRAB LEGS. Wait, did I say all you can eat Crab Legs?

Not much is good to eat at the Strat, unless you go up to Top of the World.This place is probably the best thing on their ground floor, but even in Vegas when you blow a Grand on the craps table, Lucky’s food is over priced. I have had both breakfast and lunch. Both are mediocre. The issue is with price.Eggs, sausage, toast and potatoes should NOT cost 13 bucks. If you gotta eat and are tired of the buffet, then this is your only other option on the ground level.

The Stratosphere is old now. Top of the World is awesome, but everything else sucks.The Courtyard Buffet sucked even when it was brand new….I should know since I was there the first week the Strat opened.

Ok, I was drunk, real drunk. That being said, from what I remember it was good. Food that was good enough to keep the booze down and get me to bead. Hell, buffet’s are buffet’s…there are only a few outstanding ones and this one is not on that list.

This new place is AWESOME. The look, feel, style, food, everything is great!
The location is now in One American Center. They are open for Lunch and Dinner. Get back there and try all the good dishes that we remember!
Welcome back!

The food is good, but I would recommend having a Cocktail on the 96th at the Lounge.Bar none, this is the highest place to have a drink, unless you trek to Vegas to the Stratosphere, where their lounge is at the 109th floor

So the last time I was in Chicago I had to stop here, mainly because I am from Austin, and eat all the time at Wildfire in Georgetown.Would it live up to the excellent steaks I know and love?It did, in every aspect. The Fillet was great. Cooked as expected and the flavor was wonderful.They did everything right, even down to the logo cocktail napkins, which my local Wildfire does not do.

If satan were to make donuts Krispy Kreme would be his shop, these are better than life itself.Many want to say Round Rock Donuts is good, but their yellow color scares me. The one thing that makes Krispy Kreme good, is that they glaze EVERY donut before they do anything to it. Sprinkles, flavors, filling.God bless Krispy Kreme…even though they are supremely evil to anyone’s diet.

Man, as Mexican food goes this place just does not cut it.I know they are a local family, but seriously if their pockets are that deep, stop the hemorrhaging and get out of the mediocre Mexican food business

What is there not to love about Top Notch, I mean it was in Dazed and Confused!The burgers are some of the best griddle style burgers in town. Thin meat with all the juiciness that goes with a good drive in burger.Make no mistake this place is not a gourmet burger joint, just old fashioned drive in burgers.

This place has been here for ever. They run their burger patties through a oven much like Schlotzsky’s uses – a converbelt oven where the patties are cooked the same every time. Grease drains away, and nothing but beefy goodness is left.Now with more locations (all in the same area though)An Austin original.

This place was called Alvin Ord’s years ago. Then after Schlotzsky’s sued the corporation for “coping the recipe’s” they broke them apart and the local owners changed the name.This place has excellent sandwiches just like Schlotzsky’s but much fresher and well, to die for.Small strip center place, that is not too warm, but the sandwiches make up for it!

There is one thing that you need to stop into Joe’s for CHICKEN FRIED BACON. I am a bacon connoisseur and could not eat two full strips. This stuff is deadly, but there are not that many places in Texas you can get this. Always busy on weekends and the staff mostly speaks spanish.

How can you make Chulapas better? Cover them in fresh grated cheese and then pour some queso made from the same fresh grated cheese.Cheese, cheese, more cheese.I have not had anything on the menu that was not good. Excellent for Breakfast on the weekends – the Breakfast Tacos are huge

Only saving grace for this shop is that you can still smoke inside the bar.Even though the staff is friendly the service sucks. EVERY TIME. The bar is small, but the bartenders seem to be consumed with … well something besides slingin’ liquor. They have NTN Trivia, a bunch of TV’s and Karaoke on one night.

It is a neighborhood bar. So the clans come and go. I know the place has a completely different scene from the after work crowd to the late night. So depending on when you go your mileage may vary.
Kitchen is closed, which says a bunch. Skip it and go to Italian Garden next door.

Since I was reviewing Texas Bar and Grill, I thought I would give Italian Garden next door the highest of props.This place is awesome, but make sure you have the time. Every dish is hand made. The owner has been in the kitchen for over 10 years. I have never had a bad meal there, but do not expect a high-end, black tie style of dining.Just good Italian food, locally owned, and hand made.

Great Sushi at a reasonable price. The place is upscale, but you will not feel out of place in Jeans.
Sushi Bar is one of the largest in town, and the restaurant has ample seating. There is usually a wait on Friday and Saturday nights, but the rest of the week is easy in and out.
I personally like the Crunch Roll, but always inquire about any special rolls they are doing that night – and always try the new ones.
Domino Regato, Mr. Roboto!

I have been to this place a few times when staying with friends.They always have good lunch specials and the standard menu fare is great.Just good southern cooking! Chicken Fried Steak, Fried Chicken, Meat Loaf and the likes.Worth a stop if your up in Sachse.

Well the flood hit Aunt Tilly’s hard. When they are kicking it, they Cubano sandwich is one of the best. There is live music most weekends in the summer.Good place to go, but not easy to boat to. The docking is limited and mostly private. There is room for around 4 boats, unless you disregard the “do not park” signs and tie up at the end of the piers.

caf·e·te·ri·a [kaf-i-teer-ee-uh] -noun
1. a restaurant in which patrons wait on themselves, carrying their food to tables from counters where it is displayed and served.
2. a lunchroom or dining hall, as in a factory, office, or school, where food is served from counters or dispensed from vending machines or where food brought from home may be eaten.

Yeah, Tejas means Friend…whatever.The place is ok, but not steller. Breakfast/Brunch is good, but they don’t have just a good ol’ American style breakfast.Drinks are good.Oh, the Avery location is very pretentious. For no reason…and the menu is smaller…and the liquor selection is not a large (except of the tequila)

Where else can you get a bag of burgers for like 8 bucks?4 burgers for 8 bucks, or is it 10 now…either way, I remember when it was $5.99 for a bag of burgers…Still it is quick and better than McCrapples

Well once again it is corporate. Even though Porky (owners name) lives here, it is still not that good.I mean it will do in a pinch, but there are a bunch of better places here in Austin….much like Rudy’s

Ok, it is corporate so it falls of the list of places I like to go. But often I have folks give me Gift certs for this place.Best item on the menu is the Joey sirloin 6oz. It is like 6 bucks (adults pay $2 more, but that never happens) and you get one side.So it is just the right size with a sweet poatatoe and you save the waste of the 4 other oz on the 10oz and the $6 for the other.Drinks are always good!

I have been to Marie’s more than a few times. Each time I arrive with high hopes that it will be good american food. It just is not.It is corporate, which is against my roll, but you think they could make even turkey right. The gravy is spiced like folks would on the east coast…and everything is over priced.I mean the chicken pot pie is like 13 bucks.At least they went down on the prices of whole pies…guess that whole American obesity problem is catching up with them.

Apparently after 2 years visiting the place for lunch, drinks, dinner and more drinks…EVERY DAY, the bartender has a bad day, gets pissed at you and once he becomes the manager his bans you from the restaurant. The Owners are great guys, too bad they have a$$holes like this working for them.

I was going to this place before they changed the name and put in all the grills.This place is good and far cheaper than Kobe, benihana or the other places in town. I would recommend this as your everyday Hibachi grill place, due to the reasonable price, but if you want to do it to the ‘nines’ choose one of the other places.

Much better than Super Salad…the freshness is the first thing you realize when you start eating.Packed at lunch, but not so busy in the evenings.Soups and such are good. Even a guy can get full on a big meaty salad…and of course pizza, soup, and baked potatoes.

It’s a corporate shop and I like local or ones that have less than around 10 restaurants in the chain.Standard food, menu is HUGE, but the advertisements inside the menu is just in bad taste.The cheesecake, well I don’t care much for that as a desert, so just not my bag.

I eat at both locations South and North. The North location is the better of the two.I have never understood why at the South it is called a ‘Big Cat’ and North it is a simple Large Catfish.Anywhoo, they use only the best catfish they can buy and there is never a muddy or skin taste that most folks know.Lunch is awesome and the all you can eat fish or shrip nights are yummy.Hell, it has been here since 183 was a two lane going out of town. It is worth a trip.

I eat at both locations South and North. The North location is the better of the two.I have never understood why at the South it is called a ‘Big Cat’ and North it is a simple Large Catfish.Anywhoo, they use only the best catfish they can buy and there is never a muddy or skin taste that most folks know.Lunch is awesome and the all you can eat fish or shrip nights are yummy.Hell, it has been here since 183 was a two lane going out of town. It is worth a trip.

This place used to be a great lunch spot. The last 3 times I have been in there the service was horribly slow. The final time, I stood at the hostess stand for 4 minutes, while numerous waitstaff and the manager walked by…none of which ever asked if I needed any service. I had 3 other people with me, and I told them, I would buy lunch ANYWHERE else, but we are not eating here – and I will NEVER BE BACK.your mileage may vary…

Nice neighborhood dive bar to get a drink. Not as smokey as it used to be since the smoking ban. Still a pool table, awesome juke box.No cussing or you have to put a $1 in the juke box, same for knocking a pool ball off the table.Burgers are good for bar food, fries are yummy.

This place is great! The enchiladas are old skool truck stop style in a sizzle plate.The hamburgers are some of the best in town, since they are made on a griddle that has been seasoned for the last 30 years.Beer, Burgers, Bowling, what else can you want besides the Dude and some Jesus.

I love the Conan the Barbarian theme of this place, with all the little niches and tables to sit at, much like an old draught house in the old world.Pizza is good, even though this used to be a chain…is it any more?

As Steak and Fish places go this one is sub-par.I have been there 5 times and had steaks that were over priced, over done, and over rated.Can’t speak on the fish, but if it is anything like the steak, I would just drive down to one of the other better steak places either downtown, or up north.

As BBQ joints in a 10 block radius goes, this one I would pass on.Everyone says it is great, but every time I go, I am left wanting better brisket with more flavor and taste.Only thing worth eating is the Banana Pudding and Ice Tea.

If you know what a Grinder is then you will love this place. The dough is made daily and makes the entire experience.Same dough for the Pizza as the sandwiches. Friendly family place that has the BEST grinders in town!

Go with the Catfish or the Burgers.I eat the Catfish Toe’s (smaller bit size with more crispy).Live music sometimes, outside tables with a covered roof, so a good place when the weather is nice. Small A/C dining, so on hot summer days I would pass

I thought this location was jinxed before Beluga moved in.I have eaten there multiple times (at the bar of course) and the Sushi is always very good.For Round Rock and a jinxed location, they are doing quite well with some darn good Sushi!

As corporate goes, this is good BBQ, but white all the options for BBQ right here in their corporate home, how do they make it? Probably on all the folks from some other state that don’t know good BBQ and ones that one go east of IH35 or southeast of town.At least the good BBQ shops are less busy due to non-savvy BBQ eaters visiting Rudy’s.

Cool River used to serve USDA Prime and their steaks were very, very good. Now it is Black Angus (not certified Prime) and the steaks are lacking.The nightlife is weak and the crows is aging. The same bands have been there for years and it is getting boring.At least you can still smoke here, even cigars. The Cigar Room is awesome and the staff and management are great to the regulars.Some nights depending on the Band that is playing the crowd can go from Cowboy to seedy to down right thugs, but Monday and Tuesdays are quite since there are no live bands.

So I ate at the bar last week for lunch. I have to say the burgers at Water Tank hold their own with any in town. Mind you these are not your gourmet burger, just more of a diner style.
The flavor is awesome, so much so I have had a burger three times this week.
They do take-out as well as eat in, so sometimes I just don’t eat at the bar.